Nine out of ten gamblers lose; I've run into a jerk!

Chapter 33 Gradual Transformation of Thinking

To prevent anyone from tampering with the ropes, Shen Qing waited until Jing Chuan was safely hoisted up before drawing her knife, using the cliff face as a springboard to leap up, and landing gracefully and nimbly.

"And who is this...?" someone asked.

Jingchuan, whose legs were still weak, looked to Shen Qing for advice, only to see that this guy was standing at a 45-degree angle with his head held high, pretending to be an expert with his back to everyone.

"...This is my personal guard."

Inspired, Jingchuan also put on airs and acted mysteriously, letting them guess for themselves.

A figure hidden in the delegation lowered his gaze. It seemed that the Third Prince also had supporters in the country. Was it the king or some family that wanted to help him in his time of need and gain favor with the emperor?

Shen Che narrowed his eyes. The figure of this expert looked strangely familiar. Suddenly, his pupils dilated!

With everyone harboring their own secrets, Qi Guo's chief envoy, Zhu Da, sent someone ahead to scout the way. The report came back that there were indeed signs of human activity, but the murderer had already escaped. It seemed that this mission was more dangerous than expected, and they needed to be more vigilant and take precautions on the road ahead.

After resting, the mission set off again, aiming to reach the next post station before nightfall to avoid sleeping in the countryside.

Inside the carriage, Jing Chuan, who had just escaped death and was recovering from the shock, was plunged into another wave of anger and shock. Who wanted to harm him? Jing Dan? Jing Xun? Or a foreign power that intended to undermine the alliance between Xuan and Qi?

All are possible, but his two elder brothers are the most suspicious. Jingchuan closed his eyes and pressed his temples. Thinking too much is useless. At present, he has no one to rely on and no power to depend on. The most important thing is to return to Qi Kingdom safely, and then make plans.

After gathering her thoughts, she opened her eyes again and regained her composure. She cupped her hands to Shen Qing beside her and said, "Third Madam Shen has saved me once again."

Shen Qing waved his hand dismissively and said, "Keep it in the books."

"..."

Jingchuan was left with a psychological scar, and from then on he dared not say anything casually. In the future, his ministers would criticize their wise and powerful ruler for not understanding human relationships at all. Indeed, no one is perfect.

Right now, Jingchuan is only thinking about hiring a few capable bodyguards after returning to China, at least those of Shen Qingxi's caliber.

After a hurried journey, we finally arrived at the post station in the afterglow of the setting sun.

Being exposed to the public also has its advantages. With the air of a master, Shen Qing had a private room all to himself, finally no longer having to stay cooped up in the carriage.

Shen Qing lay there stretching out her limbs, letting out a comfortable breath. "Ah!"

"Knock knock knock—" The knocking sounded on the door.

"Who?" Shen Qing asked, lowering her voice to feign a higher tone.

"Deliver hot water."

"let it go."

Shen Qing heard the clatter of the wooden bucket being put down and the footsteps of the person leaving. A master's demeanor is to maintain a sense of distance from others, so she waited a while before opening the door.

As soon as the door opened, Shen Che, his face covered in frost, came into view.

Shen Qing was startled and quickly calmed himself down. Fortunately, he was wearing a mask, so he remained still as long as his enemy did not move.

Shen Che cupped his hands in greeting and said, "I admire your chivalrous demeanor and have come to pay my respects. May I ask your esteemed name?"

"Ahem~" Shen Qing said in a pinched voice, "Zhang San."

"..."

Shen Che's lips twitched. Too lazy to continue the act, he squeezed into the room and closed the door behind him, gritting his teeth as he said, "Shen Qingxi!"

"Who is Your Excellency calling for? I have never heard of it."

Shen Che laughed in exasperation: "With half your face covered, you think I wouldn't recognize you?"

"..." TV dramas are indeed all lies. Shen Qing helplessly pulled off her face mask.

Shen Che's forehead veins throbbed with regret. He should have gone up and lifted the curtain to check when he heard there were two people in the carriage that day!

"Nonsense! What are you doing here?" Shen Che thought about how Shen Qing had been staying in the carriage with Jing Chuan for the past ten days or so, and two words couldn't help but pop into his mind: elopement!

The more he thought about it, the more convinced he was that he was right. Otherwise, why would Jingchuan be hiding people in secret?

A sudden pang of pain shot through her heart, her finger trembled as she pointed at Shen Qing, and she said with heartache, "How foolish! Jing Chuan's journey back to China is fraught with danger, and his own future is uncertain. And you're abandoning your parents and family for a man like this?"

"..."

What kind of wild imagination is this?! Seeing that Shen Che looked like he was about to faint from anger, he quickly supported him and explained, "Brother, I came to find you!"

"Looking for me?" Shen Che patted his chest to catch his breath.

"Mmm!" Shen Qing nodded vigorously and recounted the whole story in detail.

She revealed her entire plan to travel with the delegation to broaden her horizons, but fearing her family's disapproval, she asked Jingchuan to give her a ride.

"Really?" Shen Che was skeptical.

"It's even more real than pearls!" Shen Qing swore to the heavens.

Shen Che breathed a sigh of relief for a moment, then suddenly stared intently at Shen Qing, thinking to himself, "They've been alone in a room for so long, and my third sister is so innocent. I wonder if that scoundrel has taken advantage of her..."

Thinking of Li Su's example, her gaze involuntarily drifted to Shen Qing's belly, calculating how much dowry she would need to appease her future brother-in-law.

"..."

How could Shen Haiwang not understand the meaning behind that gaze? He put on a stern face and said in a deep voice, "If you continue to make such impolite assumptions, I will get angry."

He and Jingchuan are as pure as spring water, well water, and dew!

"Cough~" Shen Che awkwardly touched his nose, then suddenly realized that something was wrong. Now it was his third sister who was in the wrong, so he put on a serious face and started to lecture her.

"Do you know how worried your parents are when you run away from home like this?!"

Knowing he was in the wrong, Shen Qing sincerely admitted his mistake and promised to stay obediently by his brother's side and never cause any trouble.

After venting his anger, he felt much better. Thinking that Shen Qing had saved Jing Chuan today, which could be considered a meritorious deed by chance, he wasn't so angry anymore. However, he still kept a stern face, determined not to let his third sister get carried away.

Now that things have come to this, we can no longer let Qingxi go back by herself. Due to the disaster and historical issues, bandits are constantly roaming around the country. If a group of people set out on the road, they will basically be sent to their deaths. We can only accept this and take Qingxi with us on the mission.

"Fortunately, you know how to disguise yourself," Shen Che said, having already prepared, as he pulled out a roster of envoys from his pocket.

The number of people in the delegation was limited, and the delegation was stamped with an official seal. It needed to be inspected when passing through customs. As the chief envoy, Shen Che had the discretion to add an extra guard.

Only two more words could be written in the blank space on the list. After thinking for a moment, Shen Che picked up his pen and wrote the two words "Shen Qing".

Upon seeing this, Shen Qing couldn't help but sigh, "It really is fate."

Shen Che wrote Shen Qing's name on the Xuan Kingdom delegation's list, naturally to prevent him from having any further involvement with Jing Chuan, and to ensure that no dangerous love would have a chance to sprout!

The next day, everyone discovered that the mysterious expert from the previous day was following Shen Che. They all "suddenly realized" that it was someone arranged by Lord Shen. No wonder, how could a hostage from the Cold Palace have so many people?

Some people secretly remembered Shen Che, noting that he was a shrewd and quick-witted individual who would need to be dealt with carefully in the future.

Some are even thinking deeper: could this be another smokescreen? The situation is shrouded in mystery; Shen Che is truly unfathomable!

"Achoo~"

Shen Che sneezed in the carriage. Who was talking about him behind his back?